Display box



Sept. 17, 1968 I R. c. .1. PALSON 3,401,817

DISPLAY BOX Filed hay l, 1967 INVENTOR. 2 RICHARD C. J. PALSON l/w mb ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,401,817 DISPLAY BOX Richard C. J. Palson, Medfield, Mass., assignor to International Packaging Corporation, Central Falls, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed May 1, 1967, Ser. No. 635,203 7 Claims. (Cl. 220-24) AESTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention The present invention has particular application in display boxes for the packaging of small articles, wherein an ornamental design for the outer surface of the box is desired. Prior to the instant invention, it has been the practice to provide a plastic covering on display boxes, the plastic covering simulating a leather material or the like. Such plastic coverings normally included some form of a printed design thereon. In order to provide surface impressions in the plastic material, it was necessary to mold or fabricate the upper surface of the box walls with the required surface impressions formed therein. Thus, when the plastic material was placed over the upper surface of the box wall, it would conform to the surface impressions as preformed therein, or the preformed upper surface would serve as die for impressing the design in the plastic material, thereby providing the desired design for the upper surface of the box. The preforming of the surface impressions in the material from which the upper box section was formed was not only time consuming but was also expensive, thereby increasing the overall cost of the box construction.

Summary of the invention The present invention relates to a display box in which small articles are adapted to be packaged and which includes a bottom section to which a top section is hingedly connected. The top section is formed in a shell construction and includes a top wall and side, front and rear walls. Contrary to the box constructions known heretofore wherein the top wall of the shell was fabricated with an ornamental design impressed therein, the upper wall of the top section of the display box embodied herein is provided with a preformed ornamental covering of plastic sheet material. The ornamental covering is preferably formed by the vacuum forming process and thus may have any desired surface impression formed therein so as to provide an ornamental design for the upper surface of the box. The ornamental covering may simulate a natural leather material or the like, and thus the surface impressions formed therein will add to the realistic effect in the simulation of the natural material.

The upper shell or top section of the box is preferably constructed of a metal material, and since the metal material is unyielding and the ornamental sheet material is applied directly thereover, the resultant combination would tend to give an impression that is not characteristic of a leather material. Thus, in order to produce a more resilient effect for the ornamental covering, a resilient pad may be interposed between the top wall of the upper shell and the ornamemntal covering. The resilient pad 3,401,8 l 7 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 ice may be formed of any suitable material, such as urethane foam, and thus a padded upper wall is produced on the top section that simulates a natural leather appearance.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display box having an ornamental covering formed on the upper surface thereof that simulates a leather material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display box in which an ornamental covering is fixed thereon, the ornamental covering being formed by the vacuum forming process and having surface impressions molded therein prior to the placement of the covering on the upper section of the box.

Still another object is to provide a display box having an ornamental covering in which surface impressions are formed prior to the placement of the covering on the box and under which a resilient pad is interposed for simulating a leather box construction.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

Description of the figures In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display box embodied in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the top set;- tion of the display box embodied herein;

FIG. 3 is a. sectional view taken along lines 33 in FIG. 1, but showing only the top section of the box; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper section showing the ornamental covering being used as an edging therefor.

Description of the invention Referring now to the drawing, the display box embodied in the present invention is generally indicated at 10 and includes a bottom section 12 and a top section generally indicated at 14. Although various materials may be employed in the construction of the top and bottom sections, it is contemplated that both of these sections will be formed from a metal material and will be roll formed to a shell configuration. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the top section 14 includes a shell 16 having a top wall 18, side walls 20, a front wall 22, and a rear wall (not shown). As indicated in FIG. 2, the top Wall 22 has a generally arched or convex configuration, although it is understood that the shape of the top wall 22 may be constructed in any manner required.

Heretofore, if surface impressions were required for the upper surface of a display box, the top wall of the top section was formed with the surface impressions therein and then employed as a die to create the surface impressions in the top covering that was placed thereon. In order to avoid the requirement of preforming the upper wall of the top section, the present invention provides for vacuum forming an ornamental covering with the surface impressions molded therein. Referring now to FIG. 2, an ornamental top covering is generally indicated at 24 and, as shown, is preferably fabricated of a plastic material by the vacuum molding process. In this connection, the ornamental covering 24 is formed of a sheet material and is placed over the top section shell 16 to conform to the configuration thereof. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the top covering 24 is folded in overlying relation on the shell 16 so that a top wall 26 is disposed over the top wall 18 of the shell 16. Side walls 28 are folded over the corresponding side walls 20 of the shell, and a front wall 30 and a corresponding rear wall of the covering 24 are folded over the front wall 22 and oppositely disposed rear wall of the shell 16.

In order to form the required design in the covering 24, the vacuum forming apparatus will include the design selected so that when the covering 24 is molded, it will include the design as molded into the material itself. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a plurality of surface impressions or grooves 32 are formed in spaced relation along the length of the covering 24 to define a plurality of raised areas 34. It is seen that the ornamental covering 24 may be vacuum formed such that the raised areas 34 occupy substantially the area defined by the top surface 18 of the shell 16. The marginal areas surrounding the raised areas 34 are then folded over the sides and front and rear walls of the shell 16 to encase the shell 16 as indicated in FIG. 1.

Although the raised areas 34 will provide some resilience for the ornamental cover 24, it is desirable to provide a nonrigid backing for the ornamental covering 24, thereby simulating the feel and appearance of leather. For this purpose, an interior pad 36 is inserted between the covering 24 and the top surface 18 of the shell 16. The pad 36 may be formed of any resilient material, such as urethane foam or the like; or a nonplastic material, such as cotton wadding, may be utilized as the intermediate pad 36 if desired. With the pad 36 inserted between the upper surface 18 of the shell 16 and the ornamental covering 24, it is seen that a nonrigid backing is provided for the raised areas 34 that produces a yielding effect for the top surface of the box, thereby rendering a more luxurious appearance and feel to the upper surface of the box. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the resilient pad 36 conforms to the configuration of the ornamental covering 24 and occupies the space beneath the raised areas 34, wherein the raised areas 34 are positively retained in the position as vacuum formed and thus producing the required effect.

Although the resilient pad 36 is desirable in the construction of a box incorporating the ornamental covering 24 in which surface impressions are formed thereon by the vacuum forming process, it is contemplated that, in somewhat more smaller boxes than that illustrated in the drawing, it may not be necessary to include the resilient pad 36. Thus, if the top area of the box construction is sufiiciently small, the raised areas will not be as pronounced, and the omission of the resilient pad 36 may be desirable.

It is seen that the appearance of the finished display box will simulate that of an expensive display box that is formed of materials such as leather. The bottom section 12 of the box of the present invention may be covered with a material similar to the covering 24 or may be formed of a nonresilient material with a pigment impregnated therein that blends with the coloring of the covering 14. As further shown in FIG. 1, both the top and bottom sections may be provided with edging or rim stock 38 and 40, respectively, to afford a finished appearance to the box, while a convenient catch 24 may also be incorporated in the box as required. In connection with the edging for the top section 14, it is further contemplated to eliminate the rim stock 38 by turning the edge of the ornamental covering 24 over the edges of the side, front and rear Walls of the top section as indicated at 44 in FIG. 4.

The ornamental covering 24 with the surface impressions formed therein that define the raised areas 34 produces a three-dimensional effect that heretofore has only been achieved by forming the upper surface of the shell with the corresponding design. By vacuum forming the Ornamental covering 24, an inexpensive yet ornamental covering is provided that is also relatively simple to apply to the top section of the box. Introduction of the resilient pad 36 between the top shell. and the ornamental covering 24 further imparts a yielding effect that produces the impression of a more expensive box construction.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a display box, a bottom section, a top section hingedly connected to said bottom section, said top section including a shell having a top wall, side walls and front and rear Walls, said top wall having an uninterrupted upper surface, and an ornamental covering mounted on the top Wall of said top section, said ornamental covering being formed of a plastic material and having surface impressions formed therein to define an ornamental design for the upper surface of said box.

2. In a display box as set forth in claim 1, said ornamental covering being vacuurn formed of sheet material, wherein the surface impressions are permanently formed therein.

3. In a display box as set forth in claim 2, said ornamental covering further overlying the side, front and rear walls of said top section to completely encase said top section.

4. In a display box as set forth in claim 1, a resilient pad interposed between the top wall of said top section and the ornamental covering, wherein a padded upper wall is formed on said top section.

5. In a display box as set forth in claim 4, said ornamental covering being vacuum formed of sheet material, wherein the surface impressions are permanently formed therein.

6. In a display box as set forth in claim 5, the permanently formed surface impressions being defined by a plurality of grooves that cooperate to create a plurality of padded areas.

7. In a display box as set forth in claim 6, said ornamental covering extending around the outer edges of said front, rear and side walls of said top section to form an ornamental edging therefor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

